Martha Swan Story

Hanyards Farm, Cuffley, Herts.

The morning of the 3rd of September 1916 was much like any other Sunday morning on Hanyards Farm near Cuffley. All the usual chores had to be done. The cows needed to be milked, the eggs had to be collected and all the other livestock fed and watered. Martha and Ben Law were now in their late 50s and were perhaps a trifle slower than when they first took over the farm. As it was a Sunday, any help they usually employed would probably have the day off. Martha was one of that adventurous generation of Swans, the children of Peter and Susan from Radwinter in Essex. All of whom decided that the grass was greener on the other side of the hill. William the oldest son moved to Durham. Martha herself married Benjamin Law from Littlebury in Essex and moved to Cuffley. Mary her younger sister, married Richard Cooper in Stevanage, moved to Islington, London before settling a few miles away at Hatfield Hyde. The four younger brothers, Charles, Benjamin, David and Peter and later their parents all moved to St. Albans where they prospered.
Martha had perhaps just gathered the eggs and was making her way back to the farmhouse when suddenly out of the sky, came a great blazing ball of fire. It appeared to be heading directly for the farmhouse. Poor Martha was terrified; she stood transfixed as the huge fireball hurtled towards her home. Fortunately it crashed into the adjacent meadow. But the heat from the flames played havoc with her beloved small flower patch and the vegetables that remained in her kitchen garden were ruined. The side of the farmhouse was badly scorched and the paintwork peeled and blistered.